


Back to back

by ElnaK



Category: Marvel 616, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Opposites, Portraits, characters comparison, eventual character death but no specifics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27675383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElnaK/pseuds/ElnaK
Summary: Two men, back to back. Both in the same situations, neither in the same way.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	Back to back

**Author's Note:**

> A weird little thing that basically started because of the last two lines.  
> 5 points of comparison
> 
> format is:  
> \- italics, "when..." sets the situation/etc in which the characters are compared (kind of)  
> \- text on the left, character 1 (shouldn't be too hard to figure out which one, seriously)  
> \- text on the right, character 2 (same thing)

_When the need for a knight arrises..._

One man, born in health and wealth, with his heart in tatters and death at the door, soars through the skies to use his life as a sword against the ruffians.

One man, born in poverty and sickness, earns through his efforts and bravery the power to stand in strength and hold a shield to protect the people.

**oOo**

_When a portrait is drawn..._

He is made of iron, and iron does not bend – but iron rusts and lasts only a time. He knows better than to believe iron to be eternal, than to think he might be enough. Iron does not bend, and he doesn't give up, but sometimes he has to look at reality and accept that reality does not bend either.

He is made of sky, and the sky never ends – but the sky cannot be touched, and his goals are not to be reached, neither by him nor by others. If he believes, he sometimes is the only one to. His beliefs are the heart of his strength, and through them he inspires others, but no one can always be right.

**oOo**

_When one is not enough..._

Behind him, a man born in poverty and hoping to see hardships disappear from the lives of all. They stand back to back, and no possibility is left unguarded.

Behind him, a man born in wealth and willing to give it all away for the hope of fairness. They stand back to back, and what one cannot do, the other will.

**oOo**

_When the world is safe..._

He looks at the ending battle, at the survivors. At those who were saved. He wonders: how much of this is his doing? How much did he do, and how much could he have done? Some things he cannot control – which means some things he cannot save. But some? Some he can, and did he? How could he know? What is his fault, and what was meant to happen anyway? How many of the dead are so because he couldn't save them? – He needs to do better.

He looks at the silent battlefied, at the damage. At the corpses on the ground. He thinks: it is a good thing they stopped it before it went further. Some things, he knows, could have been better, but at the very least it is not worse. The ones they saved are alive, them. He will try to do better next time, of course. He always does, so he has no regrets. He tried in earnest. If everyone does – not only him, but if he can inspire the others – then. Then they will do better.

**oOo**

_And when death finally claims back their strength, as they fall in defense of the worlds..._

He is in agony, knowing his best wasn't enough.

He is at peace, knowing he did his best.


End file.
